Madhumangala dasa and Prema-rasa devi dasi
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
namah om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine
My dear and respected Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna. Please accept my humble obeisances unto the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
During the recently concluded Dvaraka yatra, Your Divine Grace has beautifully covered the eight verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam glorifying the value of association of a Sadhu, also known as Sadhu-sanga- astaka. Lord Kapila’s explains the qualities of such a Sadhu to His mother, Devahuti:
titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
“The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.21]
During the class, Your Divine Grace has observed that most of the devotees were tired and were having a hard time to stay awake due to various reasons. And to keep us somehow or other engaged in hearing the messages, you have shared multiple anecdotes, examples, and even hilarious jokes. I remember hearing something like – I am trying hard to keep you all awake – from you. After that class, I took that statement literally and I am trying to carry it within my heart.
Lord Kapila explains to Devahuti about the association of a Sadhu as the remedy to overcome material attachment that is the cause of suffering of the living entity. Saintly persons, by virtue of their qualities of mercy and compassion, provide a positive, spiritual alternative to the conditioned souls. Attachment to such Sadhus brings out a natural sense of detachment from material things and situates them in a blissful state.
However, the task of making a conditioned soul attracted to Krsna is not ordinary nor easy. Steeped in ignorance and sinful tendencies, the living entities seldom realize their own suffering state, what to speak of getting out of it. Even if someone is given an opportunity to understand and realize such a sorrow state, the material nature itself is very difficult to overcome, as Krsna confirms in the Bhagavad-Gita.
Therefore, helping the conditioned souls to get out of their suffering state is possible only for Krsna and His empowered representatives. Moreover, due to the reluctance and rebelliousness of the living entity, with their super-excellent qualities of tolerance, mercy, and compassion, the saintly persons go through many difficulties to help such living entities.
Srila Prabhupada speaks about this particular nature of a Sadhu in his lecture:
“At the same time we have to become karunikah, taking compassion on the fallen souls. We have to go from country to country, town to town, city to city, village to village, to enlighten them to become Krsna conscious. That is sadhu’s duty. Those who are preachers, they are better sadhu than those who have gone to Himalaya. The sadhus who have gone to Himalaya for his personal benefit, that is also good, but those sadhus who are preaching and facing so many difficulties, so many opposing elements, they are better sadhu. They are better sadhu. They are fighting for Krsna’s sake. So karunikah. Because they are more compassionate. One sadhu has gone to Himalaya, sitting there in a secluded place not to be bothered by any asadhu. That is also nice, but that is personal interest. But those sadhus are not gone to Himalaya but have left Vrndavana, easy life, and gone to fight to the world, they are better sadhu. That is the opinion of Krsna. Ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati [Bg 18.68]. Na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah [Bhagavad-gita 18.69]. Those who are preaching the message of Bhagavad-gita, facing many opposing elements, many difficulties, Krsna says, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah: [Bhagavad-gita 18.69] “Nobody is dearer than him.” Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.24, Bombay, November 24, 1974.
This is such a beautiful narration of Srila Prabhupada’s mood and mission, in his own words. He not only talked about such characteristics of a valiant preacher, but exemplified through his own life.
Traveling from country to country, one coast to another, every town and village, Your Divine Grace has been compassionately helping us with the opportunity to hear and chant the holy names of Lord Krsna just so we gain some attraction to the all-transcendent Lord, and thus to help us gain some much-needed relief from our self-inflicted wounds. And I can’t even comprehend the nature of happiness you relish by giving up your own comforts for the sake of the happiness of Krsna and that of the suffering living entities.
“Courage is grace under pressure” – Ernest Hemingway. When things are favorable, it may not be so hard to preach. But helping and extending care for others and carrying on with one’s services while in the midst of most challenging and disturbing circumstances is one of the unique attributes of great presonalities. Although I have only heard and read about them, seeing you, one gets an opportunity to understand what real courage means as you have displayed it from time to time.
Thank you very much, Guru Maharaja, for your unconditional love and compassion upon me to wake me up. Through your sublime qualities, thoughts, words, and unlimited, unrelenting deeds, you have consistently shown your commitment to help this fallen soul. I offer my prostrated obeisances at the most merciful dust of your lotus feet and beg you to kindly let me gain some attraction towards your lotus feet for that is my only hope.
asmad amus tanu-bhrtam aham asiso ‘jna
ayuh sriyam vibhavam aindriyam avirincyat
necchami te vilulitan uruvikramena
kalatmanopanaya mam nija-bhrtya-parsvam
“My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahma down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.24]
Your aspiring servant,
Madhumangala dasa